Mooring device



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C. C. TOMKINSON 1 MOORING DEVICE Filed Feb. 26, 1925 2 SheetsL-Sheet 2INVENTOR Zar/e5 Ibm/Nason BY Nimmt?? Patented Sept. 14, 1926.

UNITED` STATES FATENT '()FFICB CHARLES C. TOMKINSON, OF PLAINFELD, NEWJERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO J'. EDWARD OGDEN, OF MOUNTAINVILLE, NEW YORK.

MooRING DnvIcE.

Application filed February 26, 1925. Serial No. 11,684.

This invention relates to devices for mooring boats to bridges such asthat illustrated in Reissue Patent No. 14,313, to Du Bosque, grantedJune 5, 1917.

The invention relates more particularly to the connection or hitchbetween the lifting and counterbalancing mechanism and the bridge andboat.

The invention has for its salient object to provide a practical andsimplified connection or hitch between the lifting or counter'-weighting mechanism and the boat. and bridge whereby the bridge and boatwill be securely connected together'.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hitch that can bereadily attached to and detached from the bridge and boat.

Further objects of the' invention will appear from the followingspecification taken in connection with the drawings, which form' a partof this application, and in which- Fig. 1 is an elevational viewsomewhat diagrammatic showing the lifting and counterbalancingmechanismand the connection between the bridge and boat.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the connection or hitchv shown inFig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but illustrating a slightly modifiedform of the invention.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Figs. 2 and 3, but illustrates another formof the invention.

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation on an enlarged scale illustrating theswivel connection between the hitch and the bridge, and

Fig. 6 is a viewv similar to Fig. 2, but illustrates a further form ofthe invention.

The invention briefly described consists of the combination of a boat,and a bridge preferably hinged and over which passengers and freight canpass to and from the boat, and lifting mechanism so connected to thebridge and to the boat that the bridge and boat will be firmly anchoredtogether. The hitch or connection between the lifting mechanism and theboat is so constructed that the lifting force is divided into horizontaland vertical components whereby the boat and bridge will be drawntogether' and whereby the interengagng parte' at the bridge and boatwill be vertically supported. Further details of the invention willappear from the following description.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, one endV10. of a bridge is shown, the bridge preferably being hinged in theusual manner. Stationary parts of the dock are shown at 11 and crossbeams 12 extend between upright portions 13 of the dock. The greaterportion of the weight of thebridge is balanced by counter-` weights 14which are connected to the outer or free end of the bridge by chains orcables 15 which in turn pass over sheaves 16 mounted on the beams 12.The counterweights 14 exert a lifting force of constant magnitude on thebridge.

In order to exert the necessary lifting effect on the bridge and boat tosecurely anchor these parts together, an auxiliary weight 2O issupported on cables 21. A yole 22 is Vsecured to the cables 21 andsupports a plurality of sheaves 23 and the weight 20 is also connectedto a frame 24 having a plurality of sheaves 25 secured therein. Thesheaves 23 and 25 correspond 1n number and a cable 30 is secured at oneendI 31 to the yoke 22 and passes around the sheaves 25 and 23,t'heopposite end ofthe cable being connected to a drum 2G which is shown asdriven by a motor 27. A platform 28 supported by springs 29 is disposedbeneath the weight 2O and ,is adapted' to support the weight when thecable 30 is suiiiciently slack to permit the weight to rest thereon.

Each of the cables 21 passes over sheaves andv has its free endconnected to a link 36.

In the embodiment of the invention particularly illustrated in Figs. 1,2 and 5, the free end 37' of the bridge has swiveled therein an anchorbolt 38, the bolt being mounted in bearings 39. rlhe bolt 38 has lugs 40eX- .tending upwardly therefrom and a lever 41 is pivoted to the lugs40. An eye 42 is also pivotally connected to the lugs and is connectedby a chain 43 to a link comprising a pair of sections 44 and 45adjustably connected by a turnbuckle 46aA llhe upper end of the sectionof the link is connected 47 the linie 345i The lever 41 is connectedintermediate its ends at to a chain 51 which in turn is connected to ahook 52 carried by the boat 53.

The end of the boat adjacent the bridge may be undercut as shown at 54to receive an overhanging portion 55 of the bridge. The free end of theleveil 4l is connected by a link 5G to the link 3G.

In operation, the cable 30 is slacked to a sufficient extent to allowthe oif'erhanging portion 55 of the bridge to seat in 'the undercutportion 54 of the boat. rllhe chain 5l 1s then passed over the hook andthe cable 30 is tightened thereby lifting weight 20 and tightening thecabl s 21. s the cables 21 are drawn taut, the lever 41 will exert alifting and drawing force on the boat, thereby drawing the boat intoengagement wit-h the end of the bridge and securely locking` the boatand bridge together. In other words, the force exerted on the cable 2lwill be divided into vertical and horizontal components.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 3, the hitchillustrated is designed on the same principle as that shown in Fig. 2.In this form of the invention, however, the lever 4l is connected by alink to the hook 52 and the swivel bolt 48 is connected by a link 6l toa link G2. A turnbuckle 63 adjustably connects one end of the link 62 tothe pivotal connection 64 of the link 6l.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 4, the cable 2l isconnected at 70 to the free end of the lever 4l and there is no directconnection between the cable and the bridge. In this case, the bridge israised and lowered through the intervention of the connection of lever4l to the swivel bolt 38 carried by the bridge and after the bridgerests on the end of the boat, the cable is slacked to permit the link 60to be secured over the hook 52.

In Fig. 6, a simpler form of the invention is shown in which the cable2l has secured to its free end an eye which in turn is connected to aneye 76 on the bridge by a cable or chain 77 and to the hook 52 on theboat by a cable or chain 78. In this form of the invention, the verticallifting force on the cable 2l is divided into vertical and horizontalcomponents tending to vertically support the bridge and boat and to drawthese parts into firm engagement with each other.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that simple and practicalmeans has been provided for firmly and securely anchoring or mooring aboat such as a ferry boat to a bridge.

Although certain specific embodiments of the invention have beenparticularly shown and described, it will be understood that theinvention is capable of modification and that changes in theconstruction and in the arrangement of the various cooperating parts maybe made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, asexpressed in the following claims.

l. In combination, a bridge, a boat to be moored thereto, liftingmechanism, a connection between said lifting mechanism and the bridgedirectly secured to a fixed point on the bridge and a connectionbetweenthe lifting mechanism and said boat allixed to the boat at apoint spaced from the point of connection on the bridge, said connectionto the boat having vertical and horizontal components.

2. In combination, a` bridge, a boat to be moored thereto, liftingmechanism, and a lever pivotally connected to said bridge at a fixedpoint thereon, a connection between the lever and the boat and anotherconnection between the lever and the lifting mechanism.

3. In combination, a bridge, a boat to be moored thereto, liftingmechanism, and a. lever pivotally connected at one end to said bridge ata fixed point thereon, a connection between the other end of the leverand the lifting' mechanism and another connection from a pointintermediate the ends of said I lever to a point on the boat spaced fromsaid pivotal connection on the bridge.

4. In combination, a bridge, a swivel on the bridge, a boat to be mooredto said bridge, lifting mechanism, and a lever pvotally connected tosaid swivel and connected at points spaced from the swivel to saidlifting mechanism and to said boat.

5. In combination, a bridge, a boat to be moored thereto, liftingmechanism, and a lever pivotally connected at one end to said bridge ata fixed point thereon, a connection between the other end of the leverand the lifting mechanism and another connection from a pointintermediate the ends of said lever to a point on the boat spaced fromsaid pivot-a1 connection on the bridge, and a connection between saidlifting mechanism and the bridge.

6. In combination, a bridge, a boat to be moored thereto, liftingmechanism, and a lever pivotally connected at one end to said bridgeat afixed point thereon, a connection between the other end of the lever andthe lifting mechanism and another connection from a point intermediatethe ends of said lever to a point on the boat spaced from said pivotalconnection on the bridge, and an adjustable connection between saidlifting mechanism and the bridge.

7. In combination, a bridge, a swivel on the bridge, a boat to be mooredto said bridge, lifting mechanism, and a lever piv otally connected tosaid swivel and connected at points spaced from the swivel to saidlifting mechanism and to said boat, and an adjustable connection betweensaid lifting mechanism and the bridge.

8. In combination, a bridge having an overhanging portion, a boat havinga p0rtion to receive the overhanging portion of the bridge, liftingmechanism, a connection between said lifting mechanism and the bridgedirectly secured to a fixed pointon the bridge and a connection betweenthe lift-ing mechanism and said boat, affixed to the boatat a pointspaced from the point of connection on the bridge, said connection tothe boat having vertical and horizontal components.

S). ln combination, a bridge having an overhanging portion, a boat to bemoored thereto having a recessed portion to receive the over-hangingportion of the bridge, lifting mechanism, and a lever pivotallyconnected at one end to said bridge at a lined point thereon, aconnection between the other end of the lever and the lifting meclranism and another connection from a point intermediate the ends of saidlever to a point on the boat spaced from said pivotal connection on thebridge, and a connection between said lifting mechanism and the bridge.

10. In combination, a bridge having an overhanging portion, a swivel onthe bridge, a boat to be moored to said bridge having a recessed portionto receive the overhanging portion of the bridge, lifting mechanism, anda lever pivotally connected to said swivel and connected at pointsspaced from the swivel to said lifting mechanism and to said boat, andan adjustable connection between said lifting meehanism and the bridge.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 20th day ofFebruary, 1925.

CHARLES C. TOMKINSON.

